Swedish melodic rockers, Treat, will release their first ever live CD and first live DVD/Blu-Ray in over 10 years, entitled The Road More Or Less Traveled - Live In Milano on April 21st. A video for “Papertiger” from the upcoming release is available for streaming below.

On April 23rd, 2016, Treat played a hotly anticipated set at Frontiers Rock Festival III. Held close to Milano, Italy, this was the third annual edition of the festival and saw Treat playing hot on the heels of the release of their latest studio album, Ghost Of Graceland. The release date of this live album happens to be about one year after the initial performance took place and almost coincides with the 2017 edition of the Frontiers Rock Festival as well.

The band took the stage by storm, opening the show with the title track from their last studio album and showcasing a very special lineup, which features H.E.A.T. keyboardist Jona Tee taking the place of Patrik Appelgren for this exclusive performance. Treat offered a show with a great mixture of new and recent songs taken from their latest album, the highly regarded 2010 release Coup De Grace, and classic songs from the good ol’ days including “World Of Promises”, “Get You On The Run”, and “Ready For The Taking”.

Says guitarist Anders Wikström, “As we haven’t released a live home video in 10 years, let alone a live album ever, and then Serafino asked us, we were more than delighted, and frankly, long overdue, to show our fans what we been up to for the last couple of years. With so many albums to choose from and our audience constantly asking for different songs in the setlist, this was a great opportunity to close one chapter, only to start writing the next. "The Road more or Less Traveled” is a great reminder for anyone to see that Treat is very much a living and breathing live entity!”

Treat’s performance was truly a unique and special one and this live video documents a great moment in the band’s history as well as serving as a celebration of one of Sweden’s finest hard rock bands ever!

"This year will take us right back we belong, on stage! We have some really cool surprises and will of course play the best of the new, but also older songs we haven’t performed in ages! See you all on tour through 2017,” concludes Anders.

The Road More or Less Traveled will be released on CD/DVD, Blu-Ray standalone, and digital editions.

Tracklisting:

“Ghost Of Graceland”
“Better The Devil You Know”
“Non Stop Madness”
“Ready For The Taking”
“Papertiger”
“Do Your Own Stunts”
“Endangered”
“Gimme One More Night”
“We Own The Night”
“Roar”
“Get You On The Run”
“Conspiracy”
“Skies Of Mongolia”
“World Of Promises”

A video for “Ready For The Taking” from the upcoming release is available for streaming below.

Treat tour dates:

March
25 - Torp - Avesta, Sweden
31 - High Voltage - Copenhagen, Denmark

April
1 - Oefenbunker - Landgraaf, Netherlands
2 - Roxy - Flensburg, Germany
4 - Garage DeLuxe - Munich, Germany
5 - Kreuz - Obermachtal, Germany
6 - Der Cult - Nurnberg, Germany

May
17 - Shibuya Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
18 - Umeda Quattro - Osaka, Japan
27 - Kalos Festival - Madrid, Spain

August
25 - Hair Metal Heaven Festival - Hull UK

Band lineup:

Robert Ernlund: Lead vocals
Anders Wikström: Lead Guitars and vocals
Pontus Egberg: Electric Bass and vocals
Jamie Borger: Drums
Patrick Appelgren: Keyboards and vocals

In a brand new interview with the "Decibel Geek" podcast, POISON drummer Rikki Rockett was asked how Slash came to audition for the guitarist slot in the band prior to joining GUNS N' ROSES in 1985. "Slash we had known," Rikki said (hear audio below). "'Cause he was in HOLLYWOOD ROSE… So Bret [Michaels, POISON singer] and I liked him; we all liked him. And he came and worked on some songs with us, but we continued to audition people even though he was a frontrunner… We didn't want, like, a hotshot Yngwie [Malmsteen-type] guy. We didn't want that. We wanted a rock, East Coast guy. And then C.C. [DeVille, current POISON guitarist] auditioned, and he just made more sense than Slash did. So it was a tough decision, because we all liked Slash. Slash was really pissed off about it. He was pissed. He was, like, 'What the fuck, you guys?'… So there was that rivalry between GUNS N' ROSES and POISON because of that, I think, for a long time, you know? And that's long gone. I see Slash and we're totally cool, you know what I mean? I haven't seen Axl [Rose, GUNS N' ROSES singer] in fucking fifteen years, but I've seen the other guys, and [there's] no problem."

Slash spoke about his POISON audition during a 2010 interview with Classic Rock Revisited. He said: "I was living in L.A. and I had just gotten done working in a band with Axl, actually, called HOLLYWOOD ROSE. Steven Adler was in that band as well. I just quit. I told Axl I couldn’t handle it anymore and I walked. That was right after the first time Axl and I ever worked together. Matt, the original guitar player for POISON, who was actually a pretty cool guy, had gotten his wife pregnant or they were getting married or something like that. He was moving back to Pennsylvania. He goes, 'You should try out for POISON.' I hated POISON but in those days you did whatever you had to do to keep moving. Being very ambitious, as I was, I went and auditioned for POISON. I ended up being one of two guitar players left that they were going to pick from. I remember kicking the shit out of the songs they had. There was no denying that I could play them but there was an issue about makeup and stuff. Bobby Dall [POISON bassist] asked me what kind of shoes I was going to wear. I was, like, 'What?' It was kind of obvious that this was going to go nowhere. As I was walking out of the audition, C.C. DeVille was walking in. He had on pancake makeup and a ton of hairspray. I actually remember thinking right then, 'That should be the guy.' The next day I got a call from Bobby and he said, 'You know, you are great and all but I think we are going to pass on you and go with this other guy.' It was C.C. and it really did make all the sense in the world. I was in a couple of bands after that and then we started GUNS N' ROSES."

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo spoke to Live Nation about the stage setup for the band's "WorldWired" tour, which will officially kick off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland. "The new stage is… We're in the round," he said (see video below). "It feels a little smaller and tighter. One of the things, when we played the clubs, we felt that we should have hopefully more interaction with each other. 'Cause sometimes on the bigger stages, you don't hang out that much with each other. It's, like, 'Hey, James.' 'Hey, Rob. What's going on?' It's always in passing. So we're trying to… as much as we can — it's still difficult — to interact a bit more. And that's one of the things that we missed that we did get out of the club shows with each other." The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" 2017 tour kicks off in Baltimore and will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 will come mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

The first European leg of "WorldWired" kicks off on September 4 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and stretches through November. After a break, the trek will pick up again on February 10 in Bologna, Italy, and continue through May, finishing up in Helsinki, Finland.

METALLICA will next play South America's Lollapalooza events in Brazil, Argentina and Chile on March 25, March 31 and April 1 respectively.

Metallicas Robert Trujillo verrät uns im Interview, warum Metallica diesmal eine besondere Bühne mit im Gepäck haben... pic.twitter.com/7cg32xnPSs

— Live Nation GSA - @LiveNationGSA March 22, 2017

AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates says that he is really looking forward to the band's summer tour with METALLICA, calling the San Francisco heavy metal giants "incredible human beings and people."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's North American tour with METALLICA kicks off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland and will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Additional support on METALLICA's first North American trek since 2009 will come from VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

Speaking to Finland's Radio Rock earlier this month, Gates said that he was "really excited" about playing with METALLICA again. "I think it's an absolute honor and a privilege and we're the luckiest band in the world to be taken in by such a legendary act," he said. "During our formative years, it was all about, 'What did METALLICA do?' and 'How do we do that?' and then you try and find an identity of your own, but they're still… They were the pioneers and the trailblazers. And they still do that stuff. We go and do a surprise release and then they do twelve videos for their record and have unbelievable success, and you're, like, 'Damn! That's pretty cool what they did, huh?' So we're always having those moments and it's really cool to see them continue to trailblaze and pioneer, and they're helping us and taking us along for the ride, and we couldn't appreciate it any more."

Asked if he still gets starstruck when hanging out with members of METALLICA, Gates said: "Yeah, definitely. I remember in Berlin when we played with METALLICA for the first time, and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] came in. And you see how… He's as crazy and amped as you see on YouTube or whatever, but just the nicest guy. He comes in just full of fucking energy. That's Lars. Lars Ulrich is Lars Ulrich, on camera, off camera, and I had no clue how fucking sweet that guy is. He invited us to sing on stage, sing a RAMONES song that night, and it was just incredible. And that's just the type of guys that they all are — incredible human beings and people. And they inspire you to be better people. You wanna be better to your tour family, your home family… I mean, just because you're fucking rich and really successful doesn't mean that you need to be a dick. You can actually be nicer than everybody, which METALLICA has proven to do."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD played at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on March 7 as part of its European headlining tour with support from DISTURBED and CHEVELLE.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is touring in support of its seventh album, "The Stage", which was given a surprise release at the end of October with almost no promotion beforehand.

Even though Ron Lipnicki has been part of OVERKILL's lineup for more than a decade now, the drummer has been absent from the band's last few tours, with OVERKILL's longtime drum tech, Eddy Garcia, stepping in to take his place.

In a brand new interview with HardrockHaven.net, OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth explained how the drummer switch came about. He said (see video below): "Eddy's been part of our team since Ron's been part of our team, since 2005. He came on very soon thereafter. He was our sound guy. He played for a band called PISSING RAZORS. We had an issue with Ron. He'd broken his wrist, I think it was back in '12. And we were scheduled to do 70000 Tons Of Metal, two shows. We really like Andy [Piller], who puts it together — he's a friend of ours — so we said, 'Hey, here's our situation. We're gonna slide Eddy in.' So Eddy has played with us in the past, filled in for Ron. So when Ron just didn't wanna tour anymore, or just couldn't tour anymore — it seems to be a personal issue that he has — Eddy just was the slide-in. Just, you know, move over… It's kind of cool that he's already part of the team and you know him personally… We know him personally and we know what to expect from what he brings to each day. So he's a good choice for us to have, and we're lucky to have him as part of this team."

OVERKILL's latest album, "The Grinding Wheel", was released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).

During a brand new interview with That Drummer Guy (a.k.a. Josh Rundquist), DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li spoke about the band's decision to cover the DEATH classic "Evil Dead" as the bonus track on DRAGONFORCE's new album, "Reaching Into Infinity". Herman said: "Well, I guess we just wanted to do something different and unexpected. No one expected us to do a cover like that. Just like when we did the Johnny Cash cover ['Ring Of Fire'] on 'Maximum Overload', people were going, 'What the hell is that?' And, of course, we love DEATH — it's such an awesome, legendary band — so we thought we'd try and see if we can do it justice and give our own style to it. And at the same time, this opens… When you do something different that you haven't done before, you put new challenges and you kind of get better when you finish it. No one ever heard Marc [Hudson, vocals] sing that way before on previous albums, and it helps us grow and finetune our other techniques."

Li added that be expected to get plenty of negative feedback for the "Evil Dead" cover, but insisted that he won't let it bother him. "There'll be plenty of people that's gonna say how much it sucks," he said. "I mean, so far I haven't heard anyone complain about it, but once people start talking about it, they can complain all day long. Because whatever you do, there's always gonna be some haters complaining. So it'll be interesting to see what they have to say. I mean, I always find it kind of entertaining how people slag bands; it's always kind of fun, actually. But I have a twisted sense of humor."

"Reaching Into Infinity" will be released on May 19 via earMUSIC on CD, LP and a special-edition CD and DVD. The follow-up to 2014's "Maximum Overload" marks the band's third full-length studio release with Marc Hudson, who joined the group in 2011 following the departure of original frontman ZP Theart (now in SKID ROW).

The bulk of the recording sessions for "Reaching Into Infinity" took place at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK and SYMPHONY X, to name a few. The band also laid down tracks while touring their "Killer Elite" best-of album, utilizing Lamerluser Studios in London, U.K.; Dark Lane Studios in Witney, U.K.; as well as the band's own Evil1 Studios in Charleville-Mézières, France and Shredforce One Studios in California.

Pollstar is reporting that Live Nation Spain has been fined €15,000 by Spanish authorities for refusing to refund AC/DC fans who purchased tickets for the Seville show on the band's Rock Or Bust tour but were disappointed that vocalist Brian Johnson had been replaced by Axl Rose.

When it was announced that Rose would be replacing Johnson last year, many fans who had already purchased tickets to the May 10 th show at Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla wanted their money back. According to Spanish consumer rights agency Facua, Live Nation first agreed to refund fans but stopped doing so after a few days, which prompted the complaints to authorities.

According to a Vintage Vinyl News report submitted by Paul Cashmere at Noise 11, the chemistry between AC/DC guitarist Angus Young and Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose, who replaced an ailing Brian Johnson to finish the Rock Or Bust tour, "has inspired Young to start planning another AC/DC record, but Guns N’ Roses touring commitments throughout 2017 will make it difficult to finalise the project. As all of the AC/DC shows were filmed it is possible fans may be treated to a live album with Rose from the Rock Or Bust tour prior to the new studio album. Despite the departure of Johnson and the retirement (at age 66) of bass player Cliff Williams after 40 years with the band, Angus has vowed that AC/DC will continue."

The above details are unconfirmed at this time. Stay tuned for updates.

Young hit the G'N'R stage on February 10th in Sydney, Australia minus his trademark school uniform for a guest appearance. Check out the footage below featuring the AC/DC hits "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Riff Raff".

 

 

 

Extreme Management Group (EMG), home to bands like Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Rings of Saturn, and more, has announced their partnership with blackened death metallers Nevalra. Nevalra started in 2013 as multi-instrumentalist Scott Eames' studio project. As things progressed, Nevalra grew from a one man band to a full lineup; thus bringing Nevalra out of the studio, and to the stage. 

The band had the following to say about partnering with Extreme Management Group:

“It is more than an honor to unite with Extreme Management Group, Inc. Nevalra looks forward to an exceptionally busy, hardworking and successful partnership. Great things are anticipated as we join forces with Extreme Management Group. We feel a great satisfaction in knowing NEVALRA is in good hands.“ 
 
EMG said, "Scott Eames and Nevalra has done a ton of work getting themselves to this point.  We intend to make that hard work count.  Expect big things to come from Nevalra and Extreme Management Group."

(Photo by: Bryan’s Looking Glass Photography)

Austria's Mastic Scum released their  DVD entitled Rage [Live & Rare] on May 13th, 2016. It is also available as an MP3 album for download. "Construcdead" is streaming below.

DVD content:

-Full live show
-Band interview
-Nine official music videos 
-Live footage from five festivals
-Photo gallery 1993-2015
-Complete discography
-Bonus video footage

More than 160 minutes of content.

"Construdead":

"The Vortex Within":

Teaser:

Professionally filmed video footage of GOJIRA's entire main-stage performance at last year's edition of the Bloodstock Open Air festival — which was held August 11-14, 2016 at Catton Hall, Walton-On-Trent, West Midlands, United Kingdom — can be seen below.

This year's edition of Bloodstock Open Air will feature appearances by AMON AMARTH, MEGADETH, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, BLIND GUARDIAN, HATEBREED, TESTAMENT, OBITUARY and many others. It will take place August 10-13. Tickets for the event can be purchased at this location.

GOJIRA's latest album, "Magma" was released last June via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

Asked if GOJIRA is happy with the fan response "Magma" so far, drummer Mario Duplantier told Distorted Sound: "Yeah, we are all really happy with it. The most important thing is that we are all happy with the album. We have no frustration, no regrets. We just feel that we needed to make this album. Maybe the next one will be different. We don't know yet, but this moment in our life was really special and this album is a perfect representation of that, and we love it. The reaction was amazing."

Mario also talked about Joseph's decision to incorporate more clean vocals into GOJIRA's songwriting, saying: "On one hand, we want to go deeper with this atmosphere, and Joe really needed to experiment with new things. He's 40 years old and he won't want to scream forever, and he is talented as an artist, so he needed to express this in his vocals. But with the next album, we have no idea — probably we will use clean vocals again, but it's too soon to tell."

"Lower The Bar", the new album from the internationally renowned glam rock band STEEL PANTHER, can be streamed in its entirety below. Due on March 24 via Kobalt Music Recordings, the disc was co-produced with regular collaborator Jay Ruston, and includes eleven songs recorded at studios in north Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, with an additional two tracks on a Best Buy deluxe edition.

STEEL PANTHER frontman Michael Starr told Billboard about the follow-up to 2014's "All You Can Eat": "I think we've expanded. Our style is still the same formula, I guess, but we've changed it up a bit. I could say that we used to sing about pussy and partying; now we're singing about partying and pussy, but the reality is we did switch up a few things. It's a really solid, fun, intelligent party record. We're just maturing as a band after being on the road for years together and living together. It shows."

He continued: "It's hard to put into words without sounding like a typical review, but it feels different to me. It feels like we're doing some melody lines we normally wouldn't do on a couple of sings, different kinds of moods and not necessary just 'Dr. Feelgood'. There's some different stuff in there, but everything's open for interpretation. Hopefully we connect with it."

For the uninitiated, STEEL PANTHER was formed in 2000 and is Michael Starr (vocals), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums). Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock n' roll in all its debauchery and glamour, STEEL PANTHER has established themselves as the world's premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks.

Video footage of legendary singer Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ, GRAHAM BONNET BAND) performing the song "Since You Been Gone" — originally written by former ARGENT guitarist Russ Ballard and later covered by RAINBOW — on March 3 at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan can be seen below (video produced by George S Pogacich).

GRAHAM BONNET BAND's latest album, "The Book", was released in November via Frontiers Music Srl.

Graham Bonnet is a rock legend. With a pedigree that includes RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ and IMPELLITTERI, he is one of the finest vocalists of his generation. His is a recognizable and unique voice on a number of classic hard rock albums, including RAINBOW's "Down To Earth" (1979), MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's "Assault Attack" (1982), ALCATRAZZ's "No Parole For Rock 'n' Roll" (1983) and "Disturbing The Peace" (1985) and IMPELLITTERI's "Stand In Line" (1988). The recently formed GRAHAM BONNET BAND features Bonnet on lead vocals, Beth-Ami Heavenstone on bass, South American sensation Conrado Pesinato on lead guitar, ex-ALCATRAZZ man Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, and Mark Zonder (known for his acclaimed work with WARLORD and FATES WARNING) on drums. "The Book" offers 11 new songs where Bonnet lays down his legendary vocals over a selection of hard rock tunes that are chock full of great hooks and melodies.

"The songs on the album are very similar to what I have done in the past with RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ and MSG," says Graham. "I think this is what people want to hear from me and won't be disappointed." Graham Bonnet is in fine form and the album is easily his best in decades: eleven new tracks that will blow hard rock fans away! The album also includes a bonus disc featuring re-recorded versions of some of the most well-known classics he has sung in his solo career and with RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, MSG and IMPELLITTERI.

The official lyric video for "Halo", a brand new song from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's eighth studio album, "Madness", which will be released on April 28 via Razor & Tie. The effort was recorded at West Valley Studios in Woodland Hills, California with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

Commented ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte: "'Halo' is a cool song. It's really about how you don't need anyone's approval for the way that you want to live your life. You don't need to have someone say, 'Okay, this is an acceptable way to organize your life' and so on.

"A lot of people get wrapped up in needing approval from others, so it's about realizing you don't need that and refusing to behave as if you do need it."

Labonte told Revolver magazine about ALL THAT REMAINS's approach on the new disc: "We wanted to mix it up a little bit and write from a vocal perspective this time. So I went to L.A. and came up with vocal ideas and melodies and then sent those chord progressions back to Oli and he wrote riffs in response to that. [Doing it this way] turned the record into a vocal album as opposed to a guitar album. And that affected some things. Like, there might be less intricacy in the riffs because they were written in response to my voice."

Labonte added that the majority of the new ALL THAT REMAINS songs feature "significant programming and electronic sounds. And that's something we wanted to have flowing through the entire record. So you're gonna hear that kind of influence on most of the tracks."

Asked by Ryan Daniels of of Rock 105.5, Carolina's Pure Rock radio station, about the "sellout" accusations that have been leveled at ALL THAT REMAINS for the more radio-friendly sound of the album's first single, "Madness", Labonte said: "If you're doing something — making music — and specifically catering to an audience that you have catered to or that has found something to attach to, is it a sellout to try and change and do something different? Or is it a sellout to be, like, 'Okay, this is the safe play where I know I can make my money?' It's, like, I know I that I can cater to this narrow group of people, and if we don't stray, these people will keep buying our records, these people will keep coming to our shows. Is it a sellout to be, like, 'I'm gonna try something different?'"

He continued: "People have been saying 'sellout' about us since 2006, since we put out 'The Fall Of Ideals'. We started doing clean choruses, and people were, like, 'Oh, sellout!' And it's, like, gimme a fucking break. We've always tried to push [the envelope] and change."

Labonte also stressed that fans of the more aggressive ALL THAT REMAINS material have plenty to look forward to on the follow-up to 2015's "The Order Of Things". "People forget that every single record ALL THAT REMAINS puts out has heavy stuff on it," he explained. "It's, like, people focus on the stuff that's not as heavy, but every record. I mean, on 'The Order Of Things', there was 'No Knock', there was 'Criticism And Self-Realization', there was 'Pernicious'. These are heavy songs. And it's almost like because you've done something that's outside of the lines, 'cause you colored outside the lines, we're not gonna even pay attention to all the stuff you colored inside the lines. This record, there's five songs on the record that are exactly what you would expect from ALL THAT REMAINS. There's some songs where we kind of were, like, 'All right, let's push this and maybe change what ALL THAT REMAINS can do, or what ALL THAT REMAINS is allowed to do.' But it ain't like we're not heavy anymore. And if you're just, like, 'Oh, they're not heavy anymore,' then you're just not listening."

"Madness" track listing:

01. Safe House02. Madness03. Nothing I Can Do04. If I'm Honest05. Halo06. Louder07. River City08. Open Grave09. Far From Home10. Trust And Believe11. Back To You12. Never Sorry13. The Thunder Rolls

UMC/Mercury will release of "The Def Leppard EP" in conjunction with Record Store Day 2017. This release marks the start of a series of catalogue releases over the next few years for DEF LEPPARD. April 22 will see DEF LEPPARD release their original first EP with replica art and picture cover. This is a 12-inch version of the EP playing at 45rpm — a one-off special for Record Store day and the first time it will be available in that format. The release is fully supported by the band.

Track listing is as follows: 01. Ride Into The Sun (2:57)02. Getcha Rocks Off (3:44)03. The Overture (7:56)

The EP was originally recorded in November 1978 at Fairview Studios in Hull and produced by the band. Released in January 1979 through the band's own Bludgeon Riffola label, this was the EP that launched one of the most successful and critically acclaimed rock bands of all time.

Said DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott: "This is the EP that shone a light on this fledgling bunch of wannabes and set us on our way to international stardom (eventually...)! Recorded at Fairview Studios, just outside Hull in North Yorkshire, a studio we were extremely happy to frequent as it had been used on numerous occasions by the late great Mick Ronson. It took two days to record and cost £148.50 — money borrowed from my Dad (a feat financially and time wise we would never get close to achieving again, EVER!!!!)"

DEF LEPPARD's three-month run across North America is set to kick off on April 8 in Manchester, New Hampshire and wrap on June 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The band's latest, self-titled album came out in 2015.

"Freja's Choice", the new video from Swedish riff lords GRAND MAGUS, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's eighth studio album, "Sword Songs", which came out last May via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was created by acclaimed artist Anthony Roberts.

GRAND MAGUS vocalist Janne "J.B." Christofferson commented: "Freja is not only the goddess of love and beauty, she is also a goddess of war and battle and an extremely powerful sorceress. Half of those who died in battle were taken by the Valkyries to Freja's home Folkvang. This song delves deep into the mysteries of the golden goddess."

Christofferson said last year that "Sword Songs" "is the best GRAND MAGUS album ever! The new songs are faster and more aggressive than on 'Triumph And Power', and we have also included some more extreme and harder stuff. I'm convinced that there are some future classics on the disc!"

"Sword Songs" was produced by Nico Elgstrand at Studio Supa in Stockholm, Sweden. Guitars, vocals and bass were recorded at Studio Supa while the drums were laid down with Roberto Laghi at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. The album was mixed by Roberto Laghi (Oral Majority Records, Gothenburg) and mastered by Svante Forsbäck (Chartmakers, Helsinki).

"Sword Songs" track listing:

01. Freja's Choice02. Varangian03. Forged In Iron - Crowned In Steel04. Born For Battle (Black Dog Of Brocéliande)05. Master Of The Land06. Last One To Fall07. Frost And Fire08. Hugr09. Everyday There's A Battle To Fight

Bonus Tracks (digipak only)

10. In For The Kill11. Stormbringer (DEEP PURPLE cover)

Amy Lee says that EVANESCENCE is working on a "unique" new project that breaks "new territory" for the band. She tells TeamRock: "We're working on something new — and the info about it is on lockdown just for a little bit longer. In a short amount of time' I'll explain exactly what it is. But we are in the studio, we are working on a new project, and it's something different — it's not just a straightforward next EVANESCENCE album. It's something unique, something complex, something a little bit beyond that — and it's definitely new territory for all of us."

She adds: "It's very exciting, and we're working very hard. I can't wait to tell you what it is, but we will be releasing it this year."

Lee hinted in interviews last year at some sort of non-traditional release, saying: "There is some new EVANESCENCE stuff that we're starting at, but it's not exactly the most traditional thing… There's something else that's a little bit special and different and (that is) gonna take you down a different path that we wanna try."

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called "Take Cover" during its North American tour last fall.

The singer has been evasive about when or if the band would record a new album, which would follow up its self-titled third effort that came out six years ago.

Lee released a new solo single, called "Love Exists", on February 10 via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and all the usual streaming services. Another solo song, "Speak To Me", will appear on the soundtrack for the forthcoming supernatural thriller "Voice From The Stone", due April 28.

European diabolical death/black metal kings BELPHEGOR have successfully finished the drum tracking and bass recordings for their new sinister masterpiece, due on September 15 via Nuclear Blast. This eleventh full-length album is to be titled "Totenritual" and it will present nine new tracks laced with obscure magick and full of furious brutality. Right after the album's release, Serpenth (bass, grunts], Bloodhammer (drums) and the singer, guitarist and founder Helmuth Lehner will embark on an intensive worldwide touring cycle.

Lehner states: "It is the most brutally heavy offering we have consecrated thus far. The drums are precise and very technical with loads of breaks, fills and tempo changes. The bass is like a panzer tank. Also, the rhythm guitars are completed; utterly aggressive and obscure. You don't hear guitars like that anywhere with such a massively low tuning.

"I'm really proud of all we have tracked so far and created for the new audial hellspawn. An honor — this horror!!"

A clip of BELPHEGOR playing "Totenkult - Exegesis Of Deterioration", recorded live inside their rehearsal bunker, can be seen below. This scorching death/black metal track will be included on the upcoming album.

According to TMZ, former BOSTON drummer John Thomas "Sib" Hashian has died at the age of 67. His son, Adam, told TMZ that Sib collapsed onstage Wednesday night (March 22) while performing on the Legends Of Rock cruise. A witness says CPR was performed and a defibrillator was used but to no avail.

Legends Of Rock will reportedly continue, with musicians set to perform tributes to Sib on the boat today.

Hashian performed on BOSTON's self-titled debut album, released in 1976, and on the band's sophomore release, "Don't Look Back", issued in 1978. Due to pressure from the Epic Records label, BOSTON leader Tom Scholz chose Hashian to replace original drummer Jim Masdea prior to the recordings of the debut album. Sib left BOSTON during the recordings of their 1986 album, "Third Stage", marking the return of Masdea.

Hashian owned a record shop and several tanning salons in Boston.

Northwest extreme death metal horde Dead Conspiracy have released a music video for "In The Wake Of The Butcher," a track from the band's 2016 self-titled album.

The band credited with being Portland's first-ever death metal act released its long-anticipated first full-length LP of new material in November. Dead Conspiracy is available on CD, vinyl and digital formats through Necromantic Press Records. Exile Music will release the album on cassette. CDs featuring the 1987 demo and a cover track recorded for Tribute To Headhunter Death Cult are offered in Brazil by Funeral Rites Records.  

The follow-up to the band's critically-acclaimed 2014 Abomination Underground, the self-titled album is an utterly destructive, dark, depraved, and disgustingly satisfying piece of death metal that fans of Death, Gruesome, Sodom, Massacre and all the old gods will surely appreciate.

Long-running Japanese brutal death metal faction Vomit Remnants will unleash a new full-length next month via Unique Leader Records. Fittingly titled Hyper Groove Brutality, the band's first studio output in twelve years was produced by Darren Cesca (Arsis, Vile, Goratory) of House Of Grind Studios and features guest appearances from vocalist Henrik Cranz of Soils Of Fate, guitarist Craig Peters of Deeds Of Flesh and Destroying The Devoid, and guitarist Paul Masvidal of Cynic/ex-Death. New track "Hi-Fi The Art Of Rapture" is streaming below.
 
Hyper Groove Brutality will see release on April 21st worldwide via Unique Leader and comes wrapped in artwork by Phlegeton of Phlegeton Art Studio (Braincasket, Korpse, Whoretopsy etc.). Preorder bundles are available at Indie Merch.

Tracklisting:

“Burning All Inside”
“Hi-Fi The Art Of Rapture”
“Die Fast And Blasting”
“Extinction Of Worthless Humanity”
“Inflicted Artificial Intelligence”
“Wire Rope Strangle”
“Despairing The Atmosphere”
“Supreme Indeterminate Power”

"Hi-Fi The Art Of Rapture":

“Wire Rope Strangle”:

Hyper Groove Brutality by Vomit Remnants

As The Grave Alchemist, the impending new full-length from North Carolina-based blackened thrash trio, All Hell, draws closer to release, the band has unsheathed the band's lyric video for grim album closer, "I Am The Mist."

Elaborates vocalist/guitarist Jacob Curwen: "The closing track of The Grave Alchemist, 'I Am The Mist' is inspired by the dread inherent in the power of nature and within our own personal histories. Conceptually, it represents the ascension of the Alchemist and his integration with nature and the collective unconscious. We felt it fitting to end the album in a way that closed the events of the narrative while simultaneously widening the scope and relevance of the album's central theme."

A12-track, narrative-driven, horror concept album that weaves a tale of alchemy, necromancy, and vampirism over the span of three centuries, The Grave Alchemist is a potent blend of violence, mysticism, psychology, and the occult, distilled into an aural elixir of Blood and Gold.
 
The Grave Alchemist - which was captured by Kris Hilbert (The Body) and mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust) - will see worldwide release via Prosthetic Records April 14th on CD, LP, and digital formats. Preorders available here.

Tracklisting:

“Grave Alchemy”
“Necrosophia”
“Wed The Night”
“Vampiric Lust”
“The Castle”
“Laid To Unrest”
“Memory Tomb”
“The Madness Out Of Time”
“The Thing In The Ground”
“Return Of The Reaper”
“Elixir”
“I Am The Mist”

“I Am The Mist” lyric video:

“Vampiric Lust”:

With the release of The Grave Alchemist, All Hell has expanded their sound while distilling different elements to create a unique blend all their own. Fans of Bathory, Celtic Frost, Samhain, Satyricon, Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore, Toxic Holocaust and the like, pay heed.
 
All Hell will bring their deviousness to the stage for a short run of live dates this spring with additional live incursions in the plotting stages.

Dates:

March
24 - Lexington, KY - Blood Of The Wolf III

April
27 - Birmingham, AL - The Nick
28 - Atlanta, GA - 529
29 - Nashville, TN - drkmttrD
30 - Knoxville, TN - TBA

March
4 - Raleigh, NC - Slim’s Downtown
5 - Gaithersburg, MD - Raw Ink Live
6 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
7 - Richmond, VA - Gallery 5

Calgary thrashers Epi-Demic will return with new album Malformed Conscience April 14th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. The track “Losing Time” is streaming below. CD preorders are available at Horror Pain Gore Death.

Epi-Demic make their explosive return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the new album Malformed Conscience. Following up on their 2015 split Passages To Lunacy with fellow Canadians Solanum, Epi-Demic once again display their violent and uncompromising Crossover madness, louder and more abrasive than ever. Malformed Conscience is an 11-track pulverizing journey through a tortured and agonized consciousness, guaranteed to snap your rotting neck and leave your mind broken.

Tracklisting:

“Rotting In Plain Sight”
“Dark Thoughts”
“Stewing In Misery”
“Ruthless Ambition”
“Losing Time”
“Famine”
“Hatred”
“Son Of Dogs”
“Breaking Your Mind”
“Punishment”
“Mortal Kind”

“Losing Time”:

This unique act must not be missed on June 10! The Sweden Rock Symphony Orchestra will be performing newly arranged, well known hard rock and metal classics like you have never heard them before! The orchestra usually goes by the slightly shorter name Sweden Symphony Orchestra and is one of the premier orchestras in Sweden. Founded by conductor Ulf Wadenbrandt, they have played all the major concert houses in Sweden, as well as performed on national TV station TV4’s new year’s special, on the 25th anniversary tour of the immensely popular Rhapsody In Rock show, among many other things.

Participating vocalists will be Dan McCafferty (ex-Nazareth), Tarja Turunen (Tarja, ex-Nightwish), Joacim Cans (Hammerfall), John Lawton (ex-Uriah Heep), Peter Tägtgren (Pain, Hypocrisy) and Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen).

The rock band accompanying the orchestra will be the Swedish prog rock/metal band Freak Kitchen, with some extra help from former Magnum keyboardist Mark Stanway.

In other words, the entire project is being put together for this one and only concert, so this will be a completely unique experience that no Sweden Rock Festival guest should miss!

Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA — featuring members of metal frontrunners SOILWORK and ARCH ENEMY — will release its third studio album, "Amber Galactic", on May 19 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Handsome Hard Studio in Lund, Sweden. The album follows THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA's two previous releases, 2012's "Internal Affairs" and 2015's "Skyline Whispers".

The official lyric video for the song "Midnight Flyer", taken from "Amber Galactic", can be seen below.

Singer Björn Strid states: "'Amber Galactic' is a relationship drama set in space, the first classic rock space opera on double vinyl.

"As seasoned musicians, we're taking this project seriously, although we might come across as slightly retrofuturistic at times, there's no irony involved. It's just us trying to shape our future into a place where our race is led by female space commanders with pearl necklaces and a quasar sense of gravity.

"'Amber Galactic' is about setting free from genre boundaries and expectations that are put on people like us. We just want to create music that we would like to hear ourselves, but that isn't only for us.

"THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is here to set you free, to invite you to enjoy music in whatever form it is presented.

"For this particular journey, we'd like you to follow us into space, but who knows where we'll go next! After entering the NFO universe, you won't ever be the same!" "Amber Galactic" will be available as a limited edition digipak CD featuring an alternate cover art (see below), 2LP vinyl (black and violet sparkle) and as digital download and stream via all known platforms. "Amber Galactic" track listing:

01. Midnight Flyer02. Star Of Rio03. Gemini04. Sad State Of Affairs05. Jennie06. Domino07. Josephine08. Space Whisperer09. Something Mysterious10. Saturn In Velvet11. Just Another Night (bonus track, limited-edition digipak, vinyl)12. Fly Tonight (Never Rewind) (bonus track, Japan only)

Strid previousy stated about the album: "'Amber Galactic' was made during late nights and way too early mornings, when sometimes, in the corner of your eye, you can catch a glimpse of another dimension, where all the women are heartbroken space commanders in evening gowns, the champagne is always free and the drugs won't hurt you.

"We wanted to create more than just a listening experience; instead we want it to be an alternative reality.

"We hope that after listening to 'Amber Galactic', you'll be wide-eyed, horny and slightly drunk."

Guitarist David Andersson added: "Musicianship in itself is not interesting, neither are the technical aspects of creating music. The ideas and visions behind the music are the only things really worthy of in-depth discussions.

"We've all reached a point where we can all pretty much play and sing whatever we want.

"We didn't talk much about chord changes or amplifiers during the recording sessions. But we spent a lot of time discussing Kierkegaard's concept of anxiety, different vintages of sparkling wine, the psychoacoustic aspects of modulation, the innate superiority of women and why a pearl necklace always look better when whoever wears it has a bored expression on her face."

When asked about the direction of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA within the realm of classic rock, Strid explained with a chuckle: "Most other classic rock bands sound like weed or LSD — we sound like cocaine."

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is:

Björn Strid - VocalsSharlee D'Angelo - BassDavid Andersson - GuitarRichard Larsson - KeyboardsJonas Källsbäck - DrumsSebastian Forslund - Guitar, Percussion




Alternate cover art for limited-edition digipak CD:

Paul Laganowski, guitarist for the late 1980s/early 1990s Wisconsin progressive thrash metal band REALM, passed away earlier this week. He was 53 years old.

Paul's former REALM bandmate Takis Kinis (guitar) paid tribute to his bandmate, writing on Facebook: "It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I share with all of you the passing of Paul Laganowski.

"Nine months ago, Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Per his wishes, we kept the illness private. He put up a hell of a fight and retained his optimism and sense of humor right to end. Now he is finally free of pain and suffering. And that for that I am thankful.

"Most of you remember Paul as the guitarist of our bands REALM and WHITE FEAR CHAIN. Through music he touched many people. His legacy will live on. Those of us who were privileged to get to know him as a friend, knew how truly special he was. He was one of those rare few good souls you couldn't help but love. I feel honored to have played music with him and to call him my best friend.

"Paul, as you cross over to the other side, know that you are loved by many and that you will be missed."

A memorial service for Paul will be held on or near his birthday on April 7.

Formed in 1985, REALM released two underground demo tapes — "Perceptive Incentive" in 1985 and "Final Solution" in 1986 — before landing a deal with Roadrunner Records in 1988. The group's debut album, "Endless War", came out later that year and contained a cover version of THE BEATLES' song "Eleanor Rigby" which REALM converted into a metal classic. In 1990, REALM issued its second album, "Suiciety", featuring a more unique progressive sound than the band's earlier releases.

After completing their contract with Roadrunner, REALM recorded another album's worth of material, but it remains unreleased to this day. In 1992, REALM disbanded.

"Endless War" and "Suiciety" were digitally remastered and re-released via the Metal Mind Productions label in 2006.

Fan-filmed video footage of Bret Michaels performing POISON hits with his solo band on March 17 at the Corbin Arena in Corbin, Kentucky can be seen below.

POISON's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD and special guest TESLA will kick off on April 8 in Manchester, New Hampshire and will wrap on June 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

POISON and DEF LEPPARD first hit the road together back in 2009, and then again three years later.

POISON appeared at the 2013 Indy 500 Miller Lite Carb Day, but has otherwise been mostly playing private shows, including one in January 2015.

The band hasn't done any major touring since taking part in the 2012 "Rock Of Ages" trek with DEF LEPPARD and LITA FORD.

POISON has released seven studio albums and 28 singles. Their debut album, "Look What The Cat Dragged In", is certified triple platinum by the RIAA. The band’s most successful album, "Open Up And Say… Ahh!", is certified five times platinum in the U.S., and four times platinum in Canada. The album saw four hit singles, with three cracking the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart including number one hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". POISON has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, with ten Top 40 hits, six of those reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard chart.

Helsott has premiered the first taste from their forthcoming EP, The Healer, with a lyric video for the title track, created by Scott Rudd (Opeth, Aborted).

Helsott, whose exotic sound mixes death metal with pagan influences, recently signed with M-Theory Audio, who will release the group's new five-song EP on April 28th, featuring stellar artwork from Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Iced Earth). Preorder The Healer CD at this location.

“We are proud to share the title track from our new EP via this awesome lyric video,” states singer Eric Dow. “This was a fun record to make and we look forward to hitting the road soon and playing the song live.”

Since forming seven years ago, Helsott – whose name means “fatal illness” in Old Norse – has paid homage to pagan cultures and mythologies while keeping true to their American influences. The group's unique mix of folk metal, death metal, symphonic metal, thrash, classical and rock first caught the attention of audiences on a large scale during the 2013 Paganfest North American tour, where they performed with Ensiferum, Tyr and Trollfest. The group built further momentum the following year with the release of their debut full-length, Woven, behind which they toured alongside Arkona and Heidevolk.

Helsott now returns with The Healer, a five-song EP recorded in part at Southern California's Trench Studios (Intronaut, Abysmal Dawn) and mixed and mastered by J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm, Ex Deo). The release spawned from the band's successful crowd-sourcing campaign to fund the recording of Woven, when they offered to write a song about a fan who pledged a certain amount. A patron named Doc – who was indeed a doctor – took them up on their offer, and the band liked the final result so much that they decided to write and record additional new songs to be issued in conjunction.

M-Theory Audio is the new label recently launched by Marco Barbieri, the former president of Century Media Records' North American office. Its roster also includes Bay Area thrash outfit Cultural Warfare, Las Vegas heavyweights Sicocis and Sacramento headbangers Blessed Curse, among others.

“We are beyond excited to be working with the M-Theory Audio team,” says Helsott vocalist Eric Dow. “Marco is one of the true good guys of the industry and we look forward to everything he and his respected team brings to the table. We plan on bringing an equal amount of work to this partnership and we feel like this union will only benefit everyone involved, especially our amazing fans!”

Helsott will perform live in California in the coming weeks alongside Immolation and Evergrey. Additional tour dates will be announced shortly.

Helsott live:

May
14 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA (with Evergrey)

Dark Symphonies has announced their cooperation with New Jersey-based, cult thrash metal act Hades, to reissue their amazing 1987 debut album Resisting Success, as well as their sophomore release from 1988 If At First You Don't Succeed...  Both of these gems will be presented separately as deluxe double CD sets, complete a plethora of rare demo and unreleased tracks from the band's personal archives. 

Hades first released their now classic speed metal debut Resisting Success in 1987. The band broke up after completing a European tour in 1989, a year after releasing their sophomore effort If At First You Don't Succeed... After the breakup, vocalist Alan Tecchio moved to Austin, Texas to join prog rockers Watchtower for a year. In 1990 he reunited with guitarist Dan Lorenzo in his new band Non-Fiction. Non-Fiction recorded three full-lengths and toured the U.S. and Europe extensively before their breakup in 1995. Interestingly, Hades released a reunion CD called Exist To Resist on Black Pumpkin Records in 1994 while Non-Fiction was still active. 

In 1999 Hades signed to Metal Blade Records and released their comeback CD Saviorself. Originally a demo, this release showed the band focusing on a new, more mature heavy sound. The Downside followed in 2000. Possessing a much better production and more cohesive songwriting this release saw Hades pushing themselves to another level as a unified band. Hades finest moment came in support of The Downside during an appearance at Germany's infamous Wacken 2000 outdoor festival. 

Both of these amazing double CD sets will be carefully mastered from the original analog sources for the best possible sound, and will be designed after the original releases, featuring original cover artwork, taking elements from the original layouts with attention to detail, even down to the logo and typeface for a touch of nostalgia. Also included are tons of unpublished classic band photos, flyers and brand new liner notes from original founding member Dan Lorenzo. Limited to 1000 copies each worldwide.

Melodic metal act, All But One, have released a lyric video for “Coloured In Vivid”, a track from their debut album, Square One, to be released on April 28th via Lifeforce Records. Watch the new video below and pre-order the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Square One”
“Persistence”
“For The Waiting Good”
“Coloured in Vivid”
“Hope Fuel”
“Little White Lies”
“The Reaper, The Sower”
“Fire Sale”
“Serenity”

“Coloured In Vivid” lyric video:

“Little White Lies” video:

With members of Alestorm, Heaven Shall Burn and Lifeforce Records' very own When Our Time Comes, All But One have a brand new message to deliver. Their powerhouse debut album tastefully fuses the worlds of pop and metal music, combining accomplished melody with masterful guitar and fearsome breakdowns.

All But One was born as a passion project of Alestorm guitarist Máté Bodor. After catching the attention of an elite group of likeminded musicians, what began as a side project evolved into what will undoubtably become a formidable force in the rock music industry.

All But One are a product of professionalism, uncompromising passion and an unstoppable hunger to succeed.

(Photo - Kornél Györgyei)